The University of Arizona

surface water

Budget Cuts May Force Closure of 375 Stream-Gauges

Date Posted: 
May 9, 2013
Publisher: 
USGS

Due to budget cuts including sequestration, the USGS may be forced to cease operation of up to 375 stream gauges across the nation. Currently the agency’s network contains more than 8,000 gauges that monitor stream discharge and help water managers predict and address drought and flood conditions.

More Accurate Snow Measurements Better Predict Runoff

Date Posted: 
May 9, 2013
Publisher: 
NASA

A new airborne mission—a collaboration between NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Department of Water Resources—is able to measure the amount of water held in snowpack in two mountain watersheds in the U.S., allowing scientists to better estimate t

Oceans Absorbing More Heat

Date Posted: 
April 18, 2013
Publisher: 
Geophysical Research Letters

Over the past decade, the upper ocean has been warming at a slower rate than it has since 1958, while the deeper ocean below 2300 feet has experienced an increase in warming, according to new research published in Geophysical Research Letters.

Groundwater Pumping Decreasing AZ’s Verde River Streamflow

Date Posted: 
April 18, 2013
Publisher: 
USGS

Verde River steamflow in central Arizona has declined since 1910 as a result of groundwater pumping, according to a report by USGS scientists.

America’s Rivers, Streams in Poor Aquatic Health

Date Posted: 
April 3, 2013
Publisher: 
EPA

Streams and rivers in the U.S.

SW Water Basins Extremely Vulnerable to Future Changes

Date Posted: 
February 28, 2013
Publisher: 
U.S. Forest Service

Water systems in the Southwest are among the most vulnerable to future climatic and socio-economic changes, according to a recent study by the U.S. Forest Service in collaboration with researchers at Colorado State University and Princeton University.

CA Irrigation Increases Colorado River Streamflow

Date Posted: 
January 25, 2013
Publisher: 
Geophysical Research Letters

Irrigation in the Central Valley of California may increase Colorado River streamflow by nearly 30 percent, according to a new study accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters.

Water Runoff to Decline in SW

Date Posted: 
January 4, 2013
Publisher: 
Nature Climate Change

In the period 2021-2040, several regions in the Southwest will experience reduced soil moisture and runoff, according to a recent study published in Nature Climate Change.

ENSO-Neutral: Another Dry Winter?

Posted by Zack Guido | on December 03, 2012
A once-promising winter forecast for an El Niño-and the wet conditions it often brings to the Southwest-has dissipated. Now, it appears a neutral phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, is moving in, diminishing chances for copious winter rain and snow in the region.

Governance Changes Suggested to Maintain River Health

Date Posted: 
November 30, 2012
Publisher: 
Nature Climate Change

Major river basins around the world, including the Colorado River Basin, have been severely impacted by long-term usage and increased water extractions leading to reduced outflows, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change.